Digital BW, The Print

Howdy,

Excuse the sarcasm, but I don't think your prints will fade to white in
40-50 years...even if you are using inks manufactured by "Midnight Inks,
Inc."  If your prints are properly conserved, there is no reason why your
great great great grandchildren can't enjoy your work.

I have seen silver prints that were not washed and toned correctly develop
stains in less than 5 years...who says the photographer or gallery selling
these prints knows for sure how well the print has been processed and or
conserved?  Probably not!

Typically, most photographers do not own archival washers.  Typically they
use trays for washing prints.  Truth of the matter here is that tray washing
is not the most effective way to remove chemicals from silver print paper.
I would like to see what happens to a tray washed print after hanging on a
wall in direct light for a year...perma washed and selenium toned or not!

I don't think any serious collector hangs expensive works of art on walls
exposed to sunlight for 8 hours a day.  I mean traditional watercolor
painting, etching, lithography and silkscreen ALL fades when abused.

I have an original Epson inkjet print from 5 years ago printed on Arches
watercolor paper.  It is in a frame, not exposed to direct light...hasn't
faded a lick!  If it has, it is not very noticable.

The issue here is that it's about the IMAGE not the process.  Anyone
investing in one of your prints is buying a piece of history...no different
than buying one of the first albuman or platinum prints ever produced.

I think we need to put all this "archival stuff" in the right
perspective...IMHO, I think WE are our biggest enemies...not the collectors
or dealers.

Hope this make you feel better...Craig
------------------------------------------
http:www.craigsterling.com "Photography With a Sense of Place"


> From: "Chris Hargens" <ldmr@...>
> Reply-To: DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com
> Date: Fri, 01 Nov 2002 15:43:23 -0000
> To: DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com
> Subject: Re: [Digital BW] Carbon-pigment inkjet print life vs.Conventional
> VC/MG  RC print life?
> 
> The "collector issue" is paramount if your are selling your prints.
> The fact of the matter is that many people buy prints not only for
> enjoyment but also as an investment or they seek to assemble a
> collection that they can pass on to their families or some
> organization, etc. In this case, 40-50 years may not cut it.
> 
> Chris Hargens
> 
> 
> --- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@y..., "David J. Bookbinder"
> <david_bookbinder@s...> wrote:
>> And then of course there's the whole collector issue. To quote the
> final
>> paragraph in an article on collecting B&W images in the latest
> issue of B&W
>> magazine: "Collectors [of digital prints] should know about
> longevity and
>> not be paying more than they should for something made recently.
> The only
>> concerns I have are print permanence."
>> 
>> - David
>> 
>> ----Original Message----
>> From: GLewis4457 [mailto:glewis4457@a...]
>> Sent: Friday, November 01, 2002 1:00 AM
>> To: DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@y...
>> Subject: Re: [Digital BW] Carbon-pigment inkjet print life
>> vs.Conventional VC/MG RC print life?
>> 
>>> Right, I'm 59 and I spend alot of time wondering what the flap is
>>> about whether a print lasts 50 or 54 years or even 10 years.  One
>>> thing about digital...you can do it again.
> 
> 
> 
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